Railway draft rigging



April 26, 1966 w. c. DILG RAILWAY DRAFT RIGGING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJan. 14, 1965 uuu Inventor:

Walter C. Dilg Z.

his Attorney April 6, 1966 w. c. DILG 3,247,977

RAILWAY DRAFT RIGGING Filed Jan. 14, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

FIG. 5 FIG. 7

1: F1G 9 Inventor:

Walter C. D119 hisAHorney United States Patent 3,247,977 RAILWAY DRAFTIRIGGING Walter C. Dilg, Glen Ellyn, Ill., assignor to Symington WayneCorporation, Salisbury, Md, a corporation of Maryland Filed .Ian. 14,1965, Ser. No. 425,529 11 Claims. (Cl. 213-9) This invention relates torailway draft rigging.

In subway and other railway cars, bufiing and draft forces betweenconnected or coupled cars normally are transmitted to their underframesthrough draft gears or other suitable cushioning devices contained intheir draft rigging. However, particularly in the case of subway cars,it is desirable that the draft riggings and underframes be protectedfrom damage by abnormal bufi ing forces, such as experienced incollisions, by causing such forces to be transmitted directly betweenthe bodies of the cars. This is accomplishable by providing one or eachof the connected cars with a releasing draft rigging which, whileenabling the bodies normally to be spaced by their couplers or otherconnecting means, will release under buffing forces above apredetermined level and, by telescoping of the connecting means into oneor either car, produce direct contact between the adjoining ends of thebodies. I

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improvedreleasing draft rigging which not only releases under abnormal bufiingforces but is readily restorable to its initial condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide in railway draft riggingwherein buffing forces are transmitted through a cushioning device to amovable member, an improved releasin-g connection between the member andits housing for enabling the member to move rearwardly under normalbuffing forces.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved shearpin assembly which both normally locks the member it connects againstrelative movement and on being sheared is readily removable forreplacement.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter indetailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims, and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the releasing draftrigging of the present invention;-

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the structure of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale of thestructure of FIGURE 1 taken along lines 3-3 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along lines 4- 1 of FIGURE3;

FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 are, respectively, outer end, side and inner endelevational views of one of the shear pins connecting parts of thestructure of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURES 8 and 9 are, respectively, outer end and side elevational views,on the scale of FIGURES 5, 6 and 7, of the bushing for the pin of thosefigures.

Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like referencecharacters designate like parts, the improved releasing draft rigging ofthe present invention, while otherwise usable, probably will find itsprincipal use in subway and like cars. It, therefore, is draft riggingfor such 1 a car that has been illustrated as exemplary of theinvention.

The illustrated draft rigging is comprised of an autom-atic subway-typecoupler 1, such as illustrated in the copending application of GeoffreyW. Cope, Serial No. 283,395, filed May 27, 1963, now Patent No.3,181,708, issued May 4, 1965, which is adapted to interlock againstrelative movement with a mating coupler. The coupler 1 is connected forrelative vertical swinging to a yoke 2 by a horizontal pivot pin 3 andis yield ably held at coupling height by a spring-pressed plunger 4depending from the yoke. A drawbar 5, pivoted at the rear for horizontalswinging to an anchor member 6 fixed to the underframe (not shown) ofthe subway or like car (not shown) and supported at the front on theusual radial carrier bar (not shown), which it receives in a slot 7,mounts the yoke 2.

Conveniently cast, the illustrated drawbar 5 is formed intermediate itsends or longitudinal extremities as a housing 8 containing a pocket 9open at top and bottom and bounded at side by laterially spaced sidewalls 10 and at front and rear by longitudinally spaced front and rearwalls 11 and 12, respectively. Substantially rectangular in horizontalcross-section, the pocket 9 is closed at top and bottom toward the rearby cover or closure plates 13 welded or otherwise fixed to the drawbar.Housed or contained in the front part of the pocket 9 is a rubber orother cushioning unit 14- suitable for cushioning the draft and normalor ordinary buffing forces transmitted to it from coupler 1 through theyoke 2.

The yoke 2 is slidably mounted in the housing 8 for relativelongitudinal movement or telescoping in longitudinally spaced,preferably lined or bushed front and rear bearings 15 and 16,respectively. The front hearing 15 is fixed against relative movement tothe drawbar 5 and may be rigid or, as illustrated, integral with thefront wall 11 of the housing 8 and projects forwardly from the pocket 9.In the manner illustrated in my copending application, the rear bearing16 may be rigid with the rear wall 12' and project rearward from thepocket 9, with a normally fixed intermediate backing or stop block asthe backstop for the cushioning unit 14 under normal butting forces.However, to shorten the length of the drawbar 5, the illustrated draftrigging dispenses with a separate rear bearing and uses as the rearbearing 16 a normally fixed bearing, backing or Stop block or memberwhich also backstops the cushioning unit 14. The yoke 2 has a stem 17which extends through the front and rear bearings 15 and 16 and theintervening cushioning unit 14. For stability, without curtailment ofthe effective area of the illustrated rubber cushioning unit 14, theyoke stem 17 has sliding in the front bearing 15 a cylindrical boss 18and, rearwardly therefrom, is of reduced cross-section, with acylindrical collar or sleeve 19 of the diameter of the boss bolted orotherwise releasably attached or secured to its rear end for sliding inthe rear bearing 16. Mounted on a cylindrical neck 20 on the stem 17concentric with but of less cross-section than the boss 18 and collar19, the cushioning unit 14 is compressed in draft between the collar andthe front wall 11 and in buff between the boss and bearing block on rearbearing 16.

Contained in the rear part of the pocket 9 closed at top and bottom bythe cover plates 13, normally longitudinally between and spaced from thefront and rear walls 11 and 12, the illustrated bearing block 16 is ofrectangular cross-section and flat-faced to conform to and engage thesides of that part of the pocket. So formed, the bearing block 16 underabnormal or extraordinary bufiing forces, such as experienced in acollision, can slide rearwardly on the bottom cover plate 13 with theyoke 2 and, by aperturing the rear wall 12, as at 21, to pass the collar19, the rearward movement of the bearing block can continue until itabuts against and is stopped by the rear wall. It is the addition ofthis increment to the telescoping or rearward travel of the yoke 2 intothe drawbar 5 normally permitted by the compressibility of thecushioning unit 14, that is responsiblefor relieving the draft riggingsand underframes of connected cars from abnormal buffing forces andtransmitting them instead directly between the car bodies (not shown),usually through anti-climbers at their adjoining ends, such as shown inLarsson Patent No. 2,802,581, issued Aug. 13, 1957. Since the cushioningdevice 14 would serve no purpose, at least in buff, were the car bodiespermitted to contact under normal bufling forces, the bearing block 16normally is held, retained or secured against movement to the drawbar bya releasing connection that will release to permit rearward movement ofthe bearing block only under bufling forces that are abnormal or above apredetermined level.

The releasing connection of this invention between the bearing block 16and the drawbar 5 is a plurality of shear pin assemblies 22. Preferablyfour and arranged two at either side, the shear pin assemblies 22 haveshear pins 23 that extend through the side walls of the drawbar 5 andinto the confronting sides 24 of the bearing block 16. Each of the shearpins 23 has intermediate its ends a necked or reduced shear section 25that aligns with or lies in the plane of the interface between asidewall 10 and the confronting side 24 and the pin extends,perpendicular or normal to that interface, through an aperture 26 in theside wall and into a socket 27 in the confronting or adjoining side ofthe bearing block. Instead of directly engaging the side of.the aperture26, the shear pin 23 is spaced radially therefrom by an exteriorlythreaded bushing 28, the hex or like head 29 of which engages theexterior face 30 of the side wall 10 about the preferably reinforcedaperture. The bushing 28 has an exteriorly threaded shank 31 that isthreaded or screwed into and of substantially the depth of the aperture26 and also is internally threaded, as at 32, at lease to the depth ofits head 29. In turn, the shear pin 23 is externally threaded over aportion of its outer part 33, outwardly of the neck 25, for threading orscrewing from within into the bushing 28.

To minimize lateral play between the shear pin 23 and the bushing 28,the external threading of the outer part 33 of the shear pin 23, whileextending outwardly to the outer end of that part, preferably terminatesinwardly short of the shear section or annular notch 25 to providetherebetween a smooth-surfaced cylindrical inner portion 34 having asliding fit with the preferably correspondingly smooth cylindrical bore35 of the shank 31 of the bushing 28. For the same purpose, the innerpart 36 of the shear pin 23 preferably is smooth and inwardly tapered orfrusto-conical for a wedge fit with its correspondingly configuredsocket 27 in the bearing block 16. For a different purpose, hereafter tobe explained, the preferred shear pin 23 has an axial drilling 37extending through its inner part 36 and across the weakened or shearsection or neck 25.

Flat-tongued, as at 38, or otherwise suitably configured at its outerend to take or receive a turning tool (not shown), each shear pin 23 isscrewed from within into one of the bushings 28 and the latter is thenscrewed into its aperture 21 in the side wall 10 of the drawbar 5 untilits head 29 is tight against the exterior face 30 of that wall.Accessible exteriorly or from without for turning relative to thebushing 28 and preferably extending therethrough, the shear pin 23,either as or after the insertion of the bushing into the aperture 26, isturned relative to the bushing until its inner, plug or wedge part 36 istight in its socket 27 in the bearing block 16. Then effectively lockingthe bearing block 16 against longitudinal movement relative to thedrawbar 5, the shear pins 23 can be locked against turning by looping alock wire 39 through a radial drilling or hole 40 in the fiat tongue 38of each pin and the companion pin on the same side. With the strength ofeach through its reduced shear or fracture section 25 predetermined suchthat all will shear or fracture simultaneously through that section onapplication of a predetermined abnormal buffing force to the bearingblock 16, the shear pins 23 will hold the bearing block against movementin the pocket 9 in the drawbar 5 under draft and normal buffing forcesand release the bearing block for rearward movement in the pocket underthe predetermined abnormal bufiing force, thus protecting both the draftrigging and the underframe of the car from damage by the latter force bytransferring it to the body of the car.

Removal of a shear pin 23 for replacement after shearing is quitesimple. A suitable turning tool (not shown) is used to unscrew thebushing 28 after cutting of the lock wire 39 and, as the bushing isunscrewed, it extracts with it the outer part 33 of the shear pin 23.The bearing block 16 is then shifted longitudinally as necessary toalign the sockets 27'with the apertures 26 and, by a suitable extractiontool (not shown) inserted in the then exposed axial drilling 37 in theinner part 36 of the pin, that part is extracted or withdrawn from itssocket. Thereafter, new shear pins are applied and the draft rigigng isready for reuse.

From the above detailed description it will be apparent that there hasbeen provided an improved releasing draft rigging which not only willrelease for protecting itself and the underframe from abnormal buffingforces but is readily restorable to initial condition. It should beunderstood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merelyexemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to beincluded that do not depart from the spirit of the invention and thescope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. Railway draft rigging comprising a housing having a pocket containingcushioning means, means in said pocket forwardly of a rear end thereoffor backing said cushioning means under buffing forces, and releasingmeans normally connecting said backing means to said housing againstrearward movement in said pocket, said releasing means includingexternally and internally threaded bushing means threaded into aperturemeans in said housing, and shear pin means threaded into said bushingmeans and extending therefrom into said backing means.

2. Railway draft rigging comprising a housing having a pocket containingcushioning means, means in said pocket forwardly of a rear end thereoffor backing said cushioning means under buffing forces, and releasingmeans normally connecting said backing means to said housing againstrearward movement in said pocket, said releasing means including aplurality of externally and internally threaded bushings each threadedinto an aperture in a side wall of said pocket, and a shear pin threadedinto each bushing and extending therefrom into a side of said backingmeans.

3. Draft rigging comprising a housing having a pocket containingcushioning means, a backing member in said pocket forwardly of a rearwall thereof for backing said cushioning means under buffing forces, andreleasing means normally connecting said backing member to said housingagainst rearward movement in said pocket, said releasing means includinga plurality of externally and internally threaded bushings each threadedinto an aperture in a side wall of said pocket, and a shear pin threadedinto each bushing and extending therefrom into a side of said backingmeans.

4. Draft rigging comprising a housing having a pocket containingcushioning means, a backing member slidably mounted in said pocketforwardly of a rear wall thereof for backing said cushioning means underbutting forces,

and releasing means normally connecting said backing member to saidhousing against rearward movement in said pocket, said releasing meansincluding a plurality of 5. In draft rigging including a yoke and acoupler pivotally connected thereto, the improvement comprising adrawbar having a pocket containing cushioning means, said yoke extendingrearwardly into said pocket through said cushioning means and supportedforwardly thereof in a front bearing fixed to said drawbar, a bearingmember slidably mounted in said pocket forwardly of a rear wall thereof,said bearing member backing said cushioning means under buffing forcesand being a rear bearing for said yoke, and releasing means normallyconnecting said bearing member to said drawbar against rearward movementin said pocket, said releasing means including a plurality of externallyand internally threaded bushings each threaded into an aperture in aside wall of said pocket, and a shear pin for each bushing having anouter part threading thereinto and an inner part socketed in a side ofsaid bearing member.

6. Railway draft rigging comprising a housing having a pocket containingcushioning means, a backing member mounted in said pocket forwardly of arear wall thereof for rearward movement therein and backing saidcushioning means under buffing forces, and releasing means normallysecuring said backing member to said housing against rearward movementin said pocket, said releasing means including an externally andinternally threaded headed bushing threaded from without into anaperture in a side wall of said pocket, and a shear pin having an outerpart threaded from within into said bushing and an inner part socketedin a side of said backing member.

7. Railway draft rigging comprising a housing having a pocket containingcushioning means, a backing member mounted in said pocket forwardly of arear wall thereof for rearward movement therein and backing saidcushioning means under 'bufling forces, and releasing means normallysecuring said backing member to said housing against rearward movementin said pocket, 'said releasing means including an externally andinternally threaded headed bushing threaded from without into anaperture in a side wall of said pocket, and a shear pin having an outerpart threaded from within into said bushing and an inwardly taperedinner part wedged into a correspondingly tapered socket in a side ofsaid backing member.

8. Railway draft rigging comprising a housing having a pocket containingcushioning means, a backing member mounted in said pocket forwardly of arear wall thereof for rearward movement therein and backing saidcushioning means under bufling forces, and releasing means normallysecuring said backing member to said housing against rearward movementin said pocket, said releasing means including an externally andinternally threaded headed bushing threaded from without into anaperture in a side wall of said pocket, and a shear pin having an outerpart threaded from Within into and'accessible for turning from withoutsaid bushing and an inwardly tapered inner part wedged into acorrespondingly tapered socket in a side of said backing member.

9. Railway draft rigging comprising a housing having a pocket containingcushioning means, a backing member mounted in said pocket forwardly of arear wall thereof for rearward movement therein and backing saidcushioning means under bufiing forces, and releasing means normallysecuring said backing member to said housing against rearward movementin said pocket, said releasing means including a bushing having aninternally threaded head and an externally threaded and internallysmoothbored stern threaded from without into an aperture in a side wallof said pocket, and a shear pin having an outer part threaded over anouter portion and smooth-surfaced over an inner portion thereof,respectively, for threading into and slidingly fitting said head andbore of said bushings, said pin having an inwardly taperedsmooth-surfaced inner part wedgeable into a correspondingly configuredsocket in said backing member and a shear section between said outer andinner parts.

It). A shear pin assembly for normally connecting a pair of membersagainst relative movement comprising an externally and internallythreaded bushing threaded into an aperture in one of said members, and ashear pin threaded into said bushing and extending therefrom into theother member.

11. Railway draft rigging comprising a housing having a pocketcontaining cushioning means, a backing member mounted in said pocketforwardly of a rear wall thereof for rearward movement therein andbacking said cushioning means under buffing forces, and releasing meansnormally securing said backing member to said housing against rearwardmovement in said pocket, said releasing means including an externallyand internally threaded headed bushing threaded from without into anaperture in a side wall of said pocket, and a shear pin having an outerpart threaded into said bushing and an inner part socketed in a side ofsaid bearing member, and means in said inner part and exposed onshearing of said pin for enabling said inner part to be extractedthrough said aperture.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,508,285 5/1950Otis et al 294-86.l8 2,802,580 8/1957 Larsson 2l3-45 2,802,581 8/1957Lars-son 2l345 ARTHUR is. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

9. RAILWAY DRAFT RIGGING COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING A POCKET CONTAININGCUSHIONING MEANS, A BACKING MEMBER MOUNTED IN SAID POCKET FORWARDLY OF AREAR WALL THEREOF FOR REARWARD MOVEMENT THEREIN AND BACKING SAIDCUSHIONING MEANS UNDER BUFFING FORCES, AND RELEASING MEANS NORMALLYSECURING SAID BACKING MEMBER TO SAID HOUSING AGAINST REARWARD MOVEMENTIN SAID POCKET, SAID RELEASING MEANS INCLUDING A BUSHING HAVING ANINTERNALLY THREADED HEAD AND AN EXTERNALLY THREADED AN INTERNALLYSMOOTHBORED STEM THREADED FROM WITHOUT INTO AN APERTURE IN A SIDE WALLOF SAID POCKET, AND A SHEAR PIN HAVING AN OUTER PART THREADED OVER ANOUTER PORTION AND SMOOTH-SURFACED OVER AN INNER PORTION THEREOF,RESPECTIVELY, FOR THREADING INTO AND SLIDINGLY FITTING SAID HEAD ANDBORE OF SAID BUSHINGS, SAID PIN HAVING AN INWARDLY TAPEREDSMOOTH-SURFACED INNER PART WEDGEABLE INTO A CORRESPONDINGLY CONFIGUREDSOCKET IN SAID BACKING MEMBER AND A SHEAR SECTION BETWEEN SAID OUTER ANDINNER PARTS.